Henri Monjauze, pillar of the SF French Community, dies

Henri Monjauze, who had a long career as a San Francisco insurance executive and was a pillar of the local French community, died June 14 at his home in Napa. He was 73 and had suffered from heart problems for some time, his daughter, Nicole Monjauze, said.

Mr. Monjauze was born in San Francisco of French parents and held dual U.S. and French citizenship. He lived nearly all of his life in California but served five terms as a representative of French citizens living in the Western United States in the Superior Council of French Citizens Abroad. He traveled to Paris frequently to attend assembly sessions.

He also held many other posts in the San Francisco French community. Mr. Monjauze was a founding director and former chairman of the French-American Chamber of Commerce, president of the French Alliance in San Francisco, and former chairman of the committee of the French Community in San Francisco, along with many other posts.

In 1978, Mr. Monjauze was awarded the French Order of Merit medal and in 1998 was made a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor.

"He was devoted to the concept of the integration of French and American cultures," Nicole Monjauze said.

Mr. Monjauze’s parents were Germaine and Camille Monjauze. His father served as commercial counselor to the French Consulate from 1936 to 1944 and again from 1956 to 1961.

Henri Monjauze attended San Francisco schools and a boarding school in Belgium, and returned to the Bay Area to attend UC Berkeley. He also served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a sergeant.

He spent more than 50 years in the insurance industry and at the time of his death was vice chairman of Duler & Co., a San Francisco insurance brokerage firm. He lived most of his life in San Francisco and moved to Napa in 2003.

"He loved good food, good friends, cigars, history, geography, travel, and most of all his family," Nicole Monjauze said.

He is survived by Jean Monjauze of Napa, his wife of 50 years; two daughters, Nicole of Phoenix and Denise Massey of San Jose; his son, Marc, of St. Louis; his brothers, Philippe of Mill Valley and Bernard, who lives in France; a sister, Dominque Monjauze of Coral Gables, Fla.; and two grandchildren.

Private services have been held, but a memorial is planned for the near future.

The family prefers donations in his memory to the Hospice of Napa Valley, 414 South Jefferson St., Napa, CA 94559.